Chair of Contemplative Science,
University or Zaragoza
Background about the Foundation of the chair
The World Happiness Foundation works alongside institutions, organizations, community leaders and individuals to co-create and amplify initiatives to make it possible for 10 billion people to be free, aware and happy by 2050. This is done by encouraging imagination to create, technological development to scale, and reflection and action to integrate. In these critical times, the need is emerging to create cross-sectional and multidisciplinary initiatives and studies so that there are fairer societies, with happier and more conscious lives, and a healthy planet.
The World Happiness Foundation Chair of Contemplative Sciences
will try to help people be free to be, aware to expand and evolve and be happy to share that happiness. This objective is aligned with some of the aims of the University of Zaragoza, such as the promotion of the application of knowledge to the progress and well-being of society and its citizens, and the promotion of the integral development of the person. To this end, this Chair is proposed as a collaboration agreement between the World Happiness Foundation and its related sponsors and the University of Zaragoza.
President of the World Happiness Foundation
Director of the World Happiness Foundation Chair in Contemplative Science and director of the Master’s Degree in Mindfulness at the University of Zaragoza
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Get access to the recordings and materials of the first congress of contemplative sciences
A year of exploration between traditions
Around the world there are and have been a great variety of traditions, philosophies, religions and beliefs that constitute a vast cultural wealth.
We invite you to be part of this cycle of presentations with 12 presentations in which we will introduce some of these contemplative traditions, explained by the best teachers and experts in them.
The speakers will talk about the practices of each tradition and explain how to integrate them into everyday life. We will find points of union between the different traditions and we will establish an enriching dialogue for all.
Organized by Editorial Siglantana and the Chair “World Happiness Foundation” of Contemplative Sciences at the University of Zaragoza.
- 12 presentations
- Free access
- Possibility of asking questions to the experts.
- Online and from home
- Recordings of each day
OBJECTIVES OF THE CHAIR
The Chair was born with the following objectives:
- Develop cooperation between the University of Zaragoza and the World Happiness Foundation, favoring the creation of new knowledge and promoting the dissemination of all aspects of common interest between the two.
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- Generate advanced research, which allows the adequate evolution and integration of the academic and business world.
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- Develop a policy of practical training for university students and professionals in the business sector.
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- Conduct research aimed at improving knowledge and providing scientific evidence on contemplative sciences, mindfulness, emotional well-being, education, personal development and global health.
Generically, but not exhaustively, the collaboration will focus on the development of the following joint activities:
- Develop and encourage research projects in different thematic lines of the field of action of well-being, happiness, education and mindfulness.
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- Support the realization of doctoral theses and final degree and master’s projects in the field of activity covered by the Chair.
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- ncrease the participation of managers and leaders linked to the World Happiness Foundation in the University, to share acquired experiences.
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- Organize continuous training for business, education and health professionals, adapted to their specific needs.
- Promote, design and organize communication and training activities: congresses, conferences, seminars, courses, etc.
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- Disseminate knowledge in relation to key topics: publication and translation of books, articles, blogs.
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- Awarding of Prizes.
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- Development of activities to promote the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially Goal 1 (End poverty); 3 (Health and Wellness); 4 (Quality Education), 5 (Gender Equality); 8 (Decent work and economic growth); 10 (Reduction of inequalities); 11 (Sustainable cities and communities); 16 (Peace, justice and strong institutions); 17 (Partnerships to achieve the goals).
CONTEMPLATIVE SCIENCES
Contemplative sciences could be defined as “Efforts to promote human flourishing by training the mind” (Dahl and Davidson, 2019). This would include areas such as meditation, yoga, mantra recitation, or intensive breathing or healing-intent movements. This vision is in line with pioneer visionaries in psychology and psychiatry such as Carl Gustav Jung or Ken Wilber, and is connected with Transpersonal Psychology.
In recent decades, research has been mainly directed at mindfulness. In the last fifteen years compassion has also been added, but the potential that the contemplative sciences have and that must be analyzed by science is immense.
We live in an incredibly interesting time when many contemplative teachers are teaching mindfulness and most people who have been practicing mindfulness for years automatically gravitate to the contemplative sciences.
Worldwide, universities are developing chairs or sections of Contemplative Sciences to deepen their study. Some examples are:
- Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, United States.
- University of San Diego, California, United States.
- Naropa University, Boulder, Colorado, United States.
- Mary Washington University, Fredericksburg, Virginia, United States.
- University of Ottawa, Canada.
- University of Melbourne, Australia.
- Monash University, Melboune, Australia.
The Chair of Contemplative Sciences at the University of Zaragoza, Spain, is the first institution of its kind in a Spanish-speaking university, just as the Master of Mindfulness was the first master’s degree on this subject at a Spanish-speaking university.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
DahlCD, Davidson RJ. Mindfulness and the contemplative life: pathways to connection, insight and purpose. Curr Opin Psychol 2019; 28: 60-64.
Garcia Campayo J, López-del-Hoyo Y, Navarro-Gil M. Contemplative sciences: A future beyond mindfulness. World J Psychiatry 2021: 11.
